


Sword Play

by Glosui



Series: femTrevelyan/Cullen drabbles [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: A little jealousy, F/M, Fight Training, Fluff, Mage Inquisitor (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 09:27:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17826161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glosui/pseuds/Glosui
Summary: What happens if a mage depends too much on their magical powers? Well, they get too comfortable fighting from a distance and get hurt when someone gets too close.Cullen doesn't take well to the fact that this exact scenario happend to the Inquisitor and orders her to take some fighting lessons with him as a teacher.





	Sword Play

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote every part of this series years ago, before Trespasser was released. This takes place at a random time after the Inquisitor and Cullen got together, though their relationship is not out in the open to everyone.
> 
> Each part can be read as a stand-alone but they kind of build on each previous part, relationship-wise.

Fighting

I cursed below my breath as Madeleine tended to the cut on my arm. A bandit's sword had cut through my robes and into my flesh because I wasn't able to move out of the way fast enough.  
"You should rest your arm so it can heal properly", she explained to me while bandaging the wound.  
"Sure." We were back at Skyhold for the day and would probably stay here for one or two more in order to change our attire, patch up broken gear or just relax. Every time someone called out to me, I greeted them or even stopped for a talk. Somehow it was fascinating how much things had changed since we arrived at Skyhold and made it our home. Me being the Inquisitor, all the responsibility and the trust on my shoulders.  
Sometimes it seemed too much. It took me hours to talk to my advisors and get the information I needed. "What happened to your arm?"   
I had already turned to walk away after speaking to Cullen when he asked. "A bandit." I shrugged and looked at it. "Sneaky bastard attacked from behind."  
His face hardened, his lips turned white and to thin line. "You are taking defence and sword lessons."   
Sighing, I walked over to him and put my hands to his face. "Nothing serious happened. I'm alive and the wound will be gone in a few days."  
He looked me into the eyes, and I was able to see his concern for me, what it took for him to let me walk into fights day after day. "I will teach you tomorrow." The vulnerability in his face made my breath catch and I could only nod. Cullen's face softened just a little bit an came closer for a tender kiss. As soon as we parted a sigh escaped my mouth and my whole body felt as if it tingled. "Wear clothes in which you can move, we meet at sunrise in the courtyard."  
"Yes, Commander." The sound of his chuckle in my mind, I made my way to my room, passing people who grinned at me as if laughing over a secret joke. 

The next morning, I stood in the courtyard wearing thin linen clothes and waiting for Cullen to arrive. But I wasn't the only one awake at this time of day: Many more stood in groups as if waiting for something and I started to understand their secret joke was on me. The news of Cullen teaching me how to fight must've spread quickly and now everyone wanted to see the Inquisitor being embarrassed by one of her advisors- and her lover- because she didn't know how to fight with anything but magic. Even Varric, Dorian and Iron Bull were watching me, waiting, talking and grinning. Terrific.  
"We have a few visitors", were my first words when my instructor arrived.  
He frowned for a second before smiling broadly: "Maybe you will make more of an effort when everybody's watching." Scowling, I took the longsword he handed me and frowned upon the unused weight in my hand. "We will fight with blunt swords, of course, and I will try not to hit you too hard." He handled the sword with ease, and I was able to see the play of muscles through his shirt. "You have to put your hand like this", he instructed and showed me. "Holding your wrist like this will make it even easier for an enemy to beat you." Cullen was relentlessly teaching me until sweat started to run down my spine and the shirt was stuck to my body. After demonstrating how to hold the weapon he continued with the most important defence moves.  
As the sun went higher some visitors left and others came, my companions sitting on the stairs with Cassandra and Blackwall watching, too. "Don't they have anything better to do?"  
Cullen hit my hip lightly while I was distracted. "Obviously not. But you have."  
I tried to concentrate but he kept hitting me and I was getting really annoyed. Just when our swords connected, I conjured a little flame on his shirt and succeeded in hitting my sparring partner for the first time.  
Cursing, he looked at the slightly burned part before shoving a finger into my direction- "That's cheating!"  
I made an innocent face and bat my eyelashes- "I don't know what you mean."  
His eyebrows shot up and he came closer. "Of course, you don't." A smile started to spread, and he stopped, standing right in front of me. "I guess I have to cheat, too." With this he initiated a deep and open kiss, the first time ever in public and I gasped in air because of its suddenness.  
Breathless, I stared at him when we parted, and he got rid of his shirt. "Now THAT is cheating." I looked towards Dorian and shot him a warning glance. He laughed at me and gave Cullen pointedly a once-over.  
"You asked for it." I couldn't help but admire his lean muscles that flowed beneath the skin whenever he moved.  
Realizing I was staring I brought my sword up just to see other women admiring my man. For one I was proud to call him my man but on the other hand was the fear he could decide he wanted someone prettier or who wasn't a mage. As soon as they looked in my direction they hurried away, probably because my face said murder. Putting all my bad mood into my hits I wasn't losing from the beginning for the first time. But Cullen blocked everything with ease and soon my muscles started to quiver, not having this kind of stamina, while his kept distracting me. As soon as he waved his hand, signalling we had finished, I lowered my sword, standing with pride alone, and walked over.  
"You did well." His eyes laughed at me and sometimes when he looked at me like this my breath caught like it did now. "If you could keep the fire of the last bit up permanently you could be a fine swordswoman." Hearing this kind of praise from Cullen made me grin although he couldn't keep it at that. "Of course, with the right teacher even you had to make some kind of progress."   
Without even moving my hand I singed his eyebrow just a little bit and I walked over, swaying my hips. "You shouldn't underestimate me."  
"And you shouldn't tempt me." When he moved closer, he took his time almost as if he gave me the choice of refusing to kiss him in public, but I wanted everyone to see that he was off-limits. Cullen kissed me thoroughly and bit into my lower lip as we parted. "It's punishment", he whispered before the playfulness in his gaze changed into worry. "You should let Elise check the wound. I'll wash and find food and water. Will you come to my room when you're finished?”  
I nodded before heading toward our healers only to be scolded for being reckless by Elise. I washed up and braided my damp hair on my way to Cullen's tower where he was already waiting for me.  
On his desk was cheese, bread, some vegetables from the gardens and wine, a very rustic meal but still great if only for sharing it with someone who was important to me like Cullen was. Almost everything was gone when he sighed and handed me a report concerning a party of Red Templar scouts near Skyhold. There was always something to do or to decide...


End file.
